Sleuthfest 2022 — Jenna Kernan

In July of 2022 I ventured out of my writing burrow to journey across Alligator Alley to the the Atlantic side of Florida for SleuthFest!

This annual conference is sponsored by the Mystery Writers of Florida, a chapter of Mystery Writers of America.

How lovely to again meet face to face with authors, writers and aspiring writers to talk about business, craft and books.

The line up of panels impressed and I was lucky to be included in two. The first was titled, Conflict, Tension and Pacing and featured JD Allen, Annette Dashofy, Debra H Goldstein, Shelly Stratton and yours truly. That same afternoon, my second panel was Writing to Thrill and I was again paired with JD Allen and Shelly Stratton, along with Yasmin Angoe.

One of the best parts of the conference was Freddie’s Noir at the Bar, held in a nightclub-like setting where neon flamingos cast the room in a after-hours glow. My favorite readings was from Grand Master and Guest of Honor, Jeffery Deaver. His villain in The Midnight Lock is chilling!

Of course, chatting with New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham and Sue Grafton Memorial Award winner Tracey Clark as another highlight.